Ukraine, Lithuania collaborate on new explosives plant

A Ukrainian company plans to build a factory for RDX explosives in Lithuania, the Ministry of Economy said on October 16.

The ministry has signed a protocol of intent for cooperation with a Ukrainian company, stating that construction is expected to begin next year, Caliber.Az reports per Lithuanian media.

However, it refused to disclose the name of the company.

The specific company and the location of the plant are not named but the government last week reserved three plots of state-owned land for defence industry needs in Upytė, Panevėžys District.

"We are actively developing defence cooperation with our partner Ukraine,” Economy Minister Aušrinė Armonaitė said in a statement.

“The company operates in a particularly sensitive sector and the Lithuanian unit will operate under the common defence umbrella of Ukraine, but in view of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the strategic importance of this company, the name of the company will not be disclosed for the time being,” the ministry said.

Erika Kuročkina, deputy minister of economy who signed the contract, said in the statement that the new explosives plant was one of several joint defence projects planned between Lithuania and Ukraine.

“Lithuanians and Ukrainians are also discussing the development of drones and other defence technologies,” said Kuročkina.

Notably, RDX, or hexogen, is an organic compound used as an explosive. It is used for the manufacture of various bombs, mines and other explosives, it can be used alone or mixed with other explosives.

At the end of September, a memorandum of understanding was signed in Vilnius with Northrop Grumman, the US defence industry giant, which plans to install a production line for 30 mm calibre ammunition on the site of the Giraitė armaments factory in Kaunas district by mid-2026.

Meanwhile, the German defence industry group Rheinmetall is planning to invest more than 180 million euros in a 155 mm artillery ammunition plant in Radviliškis District.

By Aghakazim Guliyev